Electric switch.



A. A. ZIEGLER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.16, 1910.

1,005,402. Patented 011111111911.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1'. e3

M'Znesses: J7, ,fiwelzzw":

A. A. ZI EGLER.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1910.

1,005,402. Patented Oct. 10,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

li IIlIIiI II \I V ll/z'inesses: 7 jiwenior;

ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed. February 16, 1910. Serial No. 544,291.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED A. ZIEGLER, of Boston, county of Suffolk,State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in ElectricSwitches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric-switches, adapted to be operated byhand or otherwise, and to be used alone or in conjunction withelectric-apparatus of any kind.

It has for its object to construct a very strong, substantial anddurable switch, having means for electrically connecting the partsthereof whereby the employment of electric wires is obviated, and alsoto provide means whereby the parts are very securely attached to thebase-plate, and not liable to become loosened. Such an electric-switchis well suited to railway signaling work, where it is apt to be roughlyused and given little or no attention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an electricswitch embodying thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the switch-arm and engaging-membersbeing omitted, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of theelectricswitch taken on the dotted line 33, Fig. 1, Fig. 4. is amodification showing but a single stationary switch-member, Fig. 5 is afront elevation of a modified form of electricswitch to be referred to,Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the switch shown in Fig. 5,taken on the dotted line 66, Fig. 7'

1s a transverse section of the switch shown in Fig. 5, taken on thedotted line 7--7, Fig. 8 isa transverse section of the support for theswitch-arm and one of the bindingposts, taken on the dotted line 88,Fig. 5, Fig. 9 is a front elevation of another modified form ofelectric-switch embodying this invention.

a represents a base-plate of any suitable material.

1) represents a movable switcharm or blade, here shown as a fiat bar,which serves as the movable circuit-making-and-breaking member. Said armis here shown as having at its outer end a knob 5, adapted to be engagedby the fingers for the purpose of moving it, although, so far as myinvention is concerned, it may be moved by any suit able manual ormechanical means.

A curved guide is arranged on the base, in the horizontal plane ofmovement of the switch-arm. It comprises an upper-plate b and anunder-plate 6 shown in Fig. 1, as

integrally connected at their ends, and separated to present aguide-way. Said guide is attached to the base by screws extendingthrough the base and into its ends, or by other means. In Fig. 5 a shortunder-plate only is employed, which extends along the middle of theguide-way. The switch-arm extends through and works in said guide-way,and is thereby prevented from being rocked or moved on its pivot in suchmanner as to exert an undue strain thereon and cause wear. At a pointintermediate its length the switch-arm is enlarged and provided with ahole through it, and said enlarged portion rests upon a flat seat formedon top of a pivot-support e. Said pivot-support has one or more earsextended laterally from it, and attaching-screws extend through the earsinto the base. Said pivot-support 6, see Fig. 1, has a screw-threadedhole through it which receives the screw-threaded shank 0 of apivot-bolt, which extends therethrough and also through a hole in thebase-plate, and said shank receives upon its inner end a nut 0 Thepivot-bolt has a head 0 and a shoulder 0 directly beneath its head. The

hole through the switch-arm is made to fit the shoulder 0 which latterextends through it and engages the pivot-support, and a washer isarranged on said shoulder between the head 0' and the switch-arm. Byproviding a screw-threaded hole through the pivot-support for the shankof the pivotbolt, and also providing a large flat seat on saidpivot-support, which is continuously engaged by the switch-arm and alsoby the shoulder on the pivot-bolt, a good electrical connection isinsured for the passage of the current.

Referring to Figs. 5 and 8, the pivotsupport chas a screw-threaded holethrough it, and its upper side is shouldered to form a circularprojection 6 around said hole, of a size corresponding to the size ofthe hole through the switcharm, so that when the switch-arm is placed ontop of said support the projection e thereon will enter the hole in saidarm. Said projection e is made long enough to extend through the hole inthe switch-arm and also through a hole in a washer 6 which is placed ontop of said arm. The shank 0 of the pivotbolt is threaded from end toend and extends through the threaded hole in the pivot-support, e, andalso through the baseplate, and the head 0 of the bolt engages anysuitable length.

the washer c and a nut c is turned on the shank which is contained in arecess formed in the under side of the base-plate a. By tightening saidnut the switch-arm is firmly held between the plate 6 and washer. Theswitch-arm is thus electrically connected with the pivot-support e byits engagement therewith and also by the bolt, the head of which restson the washer which is in firm engagement with said arm. The head of thebolt is made quite large to insure a good and eflicient connection withthe washer, which is made approximately as large as the inner end of theswitch-arm.

A wire f, see Fig. 1, is secured at one end to the switch-arm by a screwf, or otherwise, and is secured at its opposite end to the pivot-supportby a screw or otherwise, thereby electrically connecting them together.Tn Fig. 5 one end of said wire is connected to the switch-arm and theother end to the pivot-bolt. Said wire is bent so as to extend aroundthe pivot bolt or other supporting-means for the switch-arm as a loop orcoil to provide for a wide range of motion of the switch-arm. This wireis provided for the purpose of establishing a path for the currentwithout resistance in case any foreign substance should collect betweenthe switch-arm and the contiguously disposed parts. It is particularlyeffective when the bolt is connected with the pivot-support e by ascrew-threaded or equivalent connection.

The pivot-support 6, see Fig. 1, is integrally connected with the bodyof a binding-post by a link 6 which is made of The body 6 of saidbinding-post has a screw-threaded centerhole through it, and a screw 6extends through a hole in the base-plate a and through said body andalso extends above said body for a short distance, and on its upper enda binding-nut e and a check-nut e are turned. By integrally forming thebody of the binding-post and the pivotsupport 0, a circuit-wire is notrequired to connect them. The body 6 of the bindingpost, see Fig. 1, hasa recess 6 adapted to receive the extremity of the switch-arm, when saidarm is disengaged from the stationary-member or members of the switch.The free end of the switch-arm is thus pro tected. Referring to Fig. 1,said recessed body 6 is arranged in proximity to the stationaryswitch-members, so that the spaces between it and said switch-membersare quite short, and the end-portion of the switch-arm is made widerthan said spaces, so the said end portion is at all times held againstoutward movement due to excessive pressure applied to the opposite endof the switch-arm. In Fig. 5 the binding-post e is arranged at one sideof the pivot-support and the connecting-link e is angularly formed. Thestationary member of the switch or equivalent member into and out ofengagement with which the movable member is moved, is likewise securedto the base-plate. As here shown, see Fig. 1, 9 represents asupporting-block which is shouldered upon its upper side to provide araised portion g along one edge, see Fig. 2.

11 slitted plate of copper g or equivalent material is arranged on saidblock, being attached thereto along one edge only to the raised portion9, the opposite edge being free or unattached; although in Figs. 5 and 7a thin strip of copper or equivalent material is bent to partiallyinclose the supporting-block, extending both over and under said blockand around one side of it, and is secured thereto by solder orotherwise. In both instances the plate is slitted to form severalspring-acting fingers, which serve as a yielding engaging plate. Byproviding the block with a raised portion 9 the spring-acting fingersmay be supported above the top of the block, a space being formedbeneath them or between them and the top of the block to receive theswitcharm. Any other form of support may be provided for theengaging-member in lieu of the block here shown.

The supporting-block bearing the engaging-member is secured to thebase-plate a by a screw or other suitable fastening passing through orinto a hole 9 and is arranged in the path of movement of the switch-arm.Said supporting-block g is in tegrally connected by a link with the body9 of a binding-post. Said body 9 has a screw-threaded center-holethrough it, and a screw g extends through a hole in the base-plate andthrough said body, which projects a short distance above said body andreceives upon it a binding-nut, which is adapted to engage the top ofthe body or a wire arranged thereon. By integrally connecting the bodyof the binding-post and the supporting-block for the engaging-member acircuit-wire is not required to connect them. Furthermore, thesupporting-block or equivalent form of support and the body of thebinding-post being integrally formed, and each being separately securedto the base-plate, neither can turn on its attachingmeans, or move withrespect to the other and thereby become loosened.

While the engaging-member and its supporting-block here shown areparticularly well suited for many purposes, yet I do-not desire to limitmy invention to the particular construction herein shown; nor to theircombination with a switch-arm or other circuit-making and breaking leverof any particular construction.

In Figs. 1 and 9 the switch is provided with two stationary members,arranged at opposite sides of the switch-arm, the supporting-blocks forsaid members being respectively integrally connected with the bodies ofthe binding-post by links; whereas, in Figs. 4 and 5, but onestationary-member is provided.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In an electric-switch, the combination ofa base-plate, a switch-arm, a pivot-support therefor, a binding-posthaving a body provided with a recess for the end of the switch-arm, anda link integrally connecting said body and pivot-support, substantiallyas described.

2. In an electric-switch, the combination of a base-plate, a pivotallysupported switcharm, a bindingpost having a body provided with a recessfor the end of the switch-arm, a stationary switch-member into and out01 engagement with which said switch-arm is movable, arranged inproximity to said binding-post, the end-portion of the switcharm beingmade wider than the distance between said stationary switch-member andthe binding-post, whereby said end portion is at all times held,substantially as described.

3. I11 an electric-switch, the combination of a base-plate, a pivotallysupported switcharm, a pair of stationarily supported switchmembers intoand out of engagement with which the end-portion of said switch-arm ismovable, a body-piece having a recess arranged between said stationaryswitch-members to receive and permit passage of the end-portion of saidswitch-arm, the endportion of said switch-arm being made wider than thespaces between said body-piece and the stationary switch-members,substantially as described.

4;. In an electric-switch, the combination of a base-plate, a movableswitch-member, a stationary switch-member comprising a supporting-blockhaving a raised portion along one edge, and a resilient engaging-portionattached to said raised portion, means concealed beneath saidengaging-portion to secure said supporting-block to the base-plate, abinding-post having a body and a screw extended through the base-plateand body having a binding-nut thereon and a link integrally connectingsaid supporting-block and body, the integrally formed parts being thussecured at both ends to the base-plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED A. ZIEGLER.

\Vitnesses:

H. B. DAvIs, B. J. NoYEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

